Pocono Raceway trying to woo back IndyCar competition

Pocono Raceway — NASCAR's Tricky Triangle — is in talks to host an IndyCar race next summer. "There's nothing signed as of now. I know they are in negotiations," Pocono Raceway Vice President Bob Pleban said.

"There's nothing signed as of now. I know they are in negotiations," Pocono Raceway Vice President Bob Pleban said.

It wouldn't be a first for Pocono. It held 19 IndyCar races from 1971 until 1989, when it dropped it for financial reasons.

An IndyCar race would open up an entirely new customer base for Pocono Raceway, according to Pleban. The racetrack features NASCAR racing now. He said no physical changes would need to be made to the track or any of its facilities to host the race.

The timing of a race is more critical.

"Obviously, we can't do it in June or August because of NASCAR races," he said. "There's speculation it might be in early July."

Reports surfaced this weekend that the races could take place.

IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard told the Huffington Post: "We'll put all of our schedule out on the same day, but I think everyone knows Pocono is on our target list as well as some of these other cities."

He told Autoweek that a Triple Crown designation could be part of the upcoming schedule release, a combination of three oval-track races: Indianapolis, Pocono and Auto Club in Fontana, Calif.

Calls to IndyCar officials were not immediately returned Monday.

In 2009, late Pocono Raceway owner and CEO Joseph "Doc" Mattioli said he didn't want to see IndyCar races back at the track. At the time Mattioli said he lost money three years in a row on the races, including $200,000 hosting the final one in 1989.